No QR round in 2010 ?

[TS-50]

Looks like there won't be a round at Queensland Raceway this year due to a breakdown in negotiations.

OK , we've all seen this coming but it doesn't make it any easier, when is Cochbrain going to start giving back to tracks instead of taking, this is just another in a list of bad deals .[rt]

 

[Hardies Hero]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/m...y-off-v8-fixture/story-e6frfgb6-1225817039904

 

[Bartman09]

Poor form. Thank **** i am going to the Clipsal 500 then.
My interest in the Commodore cup (Sorry V8 supercars) is starting to pick up momentum if this is what we are going to cop.
There goes the yearly tradition of the Teammates night followed immediately by the Willowbank round.
Tony your nothing but a slobbering [jk]

 

[PaddockBasher]

What does that mean in terms of a test track. Do they have to test in their home state? Can't see them testing at Surfers or Townsville - no point in that, and unfeasible.

 

[TS-50]

If there wasn't noise restrictions, they could go to , . . . . .LAKESIDE , . .[y]




but that's never going to happen either.

 

[Gerry]

They'll still be able to test at QR but it's a bit of a bummer.
For all its faults it usually sustained a good weekends racing.

 

[PaddockBasher]

Went for a bit of a look at http://www.v8supercars.com.au/content/tech/v8_supercar_operations_manual_/ and found the following:

[FONT=&quot]D 1.3 Test Tracks Location[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1.3.1 Testing may only be undertaken at a Test Track located in the State or Territory in which the Team or Group is based, other than at a V8 Supercars Test Day.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1.3.2 V8 Supercars in its sole discretion, may permit a Team or Group to Test at a Circuit that is not located in the State or Territory in which the Team or Group is based. After having first obtained the written permission of V8 Supercars, the Team or Group will not be permitted to change the nominated State during the subsequent calendar year.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]D 1.4 Test Track[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1.4.1 Teams or Groups are permitted to Test or conduct a Demonstration Session, (as defined, in these Rules at only one (1) Test Track that holds a current CAMS Track License, which must be nominated by the Team to V8 Supercars no later than the first day of January 2009.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1.4.2 Should a Team become Ungrouped in accordance with Rule D 1.1.1.5, that Team will be required to use the Test Track that was used by the Group for the remainder of the year.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1.4.3 Should a Test Track cease to be available (e.g. cease trading or no longer hold a current CAMS Track License) V8 Supercars for such period of time that such Test[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Track remains unavailable, will nominate an alternate Test Track.[/FONT]

So, the track needs a CAMS licence to be able to be tested at. The track must be nominated no later than 1st January, (presuming that this is unlikely to change in the 2010 operations manual). V8SA will nominate an alternative test track if the track no longer holds a CAMS licence. Will they foot the bill for the QLD teams to head interstate since they couldn't come to an arrangement.
What's the closest track with a CAMS licence that is on the current 2010 calendar, as I can't see much benefit in going to a track that you don't race at.

Lots of questions, not many answers.

 

[TS-50]

Those who used Qld Raceway as their test track didn't really get a huge home track advantage anyway, so using it to test on but not racing on it really doesn't matter that much, it is a big blow to the Ford teams though who are predominantly based here, . . . . but what else do you expect from Cochbrain [jk]

 

[DJR-FAN]

Those who used Qld Raceway as their test track didn't really get a huge home track advantage anyway, so using it to test on but not racing on it really doesn't matter that much, it is a big blow to the Ford teams though who are predominantly based here, . . . . but what else do you expect from Cochbrain [jk]

Agreed, we never got the advantage that the teams down south got, but if they want to be fair about it the Vic teams should be made test at a track not in the Championship as we will now have to. Sadly there seems to be plenty of tracks that fit in that category for them to choose from thanks to Tony.

 

[TS-50]

One good thing about this could be that the Norwell proposal will get fast tracked now and there will be a definitave answer as to whether it a goer or not.

Most people know there is already a small track at Norwell where formerly BMW did testing and drive days etc before it was taken over by Holden, and now there are a few V8 guys doing insrtuction there i think the V8 Superschool opperates from there.

The proposal is really about aquiring a few more cane farms and turning the place into an international quality circuit that is close to Brisbane and the Coast and is a top class facility.

The only thing in it's path at the moment is the Bligh government's love for housing development, they were behind this idea at first until one of their developer mates decided this would be a great area to put another wall to wall minimum size allotment where overseas owned companies get even richer and we get to foot the bill for the infrastructure and services for another swarm of unemployable immigrants to live in the investment homes owned by chinese buyers.

Unfortunately those major developers donate millions to electoral funds, so they seem to get their way plus every house block sold pays the government stamp duty , registration fees, title fees development fees etc. so Bligh and her cronies love the developers.[rt]

 

[4EVER17]

Darlington Park!

What ever happend to that track?

 

[DJR-XR8]

No QR Woo Hoo, The most boring track on the calendar! Thank God for the bumps to give us some action!

 

[Gerry]

Went for a bit of a look at http://www.v8supercars.com.au/content/tech/v8_supercar_operations_manual_/ and found the following:

[FONT=&quot]D 1.3 Test Tracks Location[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1.3.1 Testing may only be undertaken at a Test Track located in the State or Territory in which the Team or Group is based, other than at a V8 Supercars Test Day.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1.3.2 V8 Supercars in its sole discretion, may permit a Team or Group to Test at a Circuit that is not located in the State or Territory in which the Team or Group is based. After having first obtained the written permission of V8 Supercars, the Team or Group will not be permitted to change the nominated State during the subsequent calendar year.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]D 1.4 Test Track[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1.4.1 Teams or Groups are permitted to Test or conduct a Demonstration Session, (as defined, in these Rules at only one (1) Test Track that holds a current CAMS Track License, which must be nominated by the Team to V8 Supercars no later than the first day of January 2009.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1.4.2 Should a Team become Ungrouped in accordance with Rule D 1.1.1.5, that Team will be required to use the Test Track that was used by the Group for the remainder of the year.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1.4.3 Should a Test Track cease to be available (e.g. cease trading or no longer hold a current CAMS Track License) V8 Supercars for such period of time that such Test[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Track remains unavailable, will nominate an alternate Test Track.[/FONT]

So, the track needs a CAMS licence to be able to be tested at. The track must be nominated no later than 1st January, (presuming that this is unlikely to change in the 2010 operations manual). V8SA will nominate an alternative test track if the track no longer holds a CAMS licence. Will they foot the bill for the QLD teams to head interstate since they couldn't come to an arrangement.
What's the closest track with a CAMS licence that is on the current 2010 calendar, as I can't see much benefit in going to a track that you don't race at.

Lots of questions, not many answers.

I believe that won't affect the use of QR as a test track as it's under AASA and that is acceptable for testing.

 

[TS-50]

QR has a cams licence for all events run there[smk]


The Owner has , for quite a few years, intimated that the spitter wants too much for the eventand that at the end of the weekend there's nothing left in the kitty, moreover the races are very hard on the track itself which is ageing and in need of some real upgrades to continue for V8's which would be ok if the category put back enough to pay for the upgrades, but it doesn't.



If in the eventuation that getting re-elected and having big barrels of money matter more to this government (we all saw the way they backflipped on INDY when they said V8's would never be a stand alone event, until they saw the crowds) than actually providing what the motor racing and fan community wants and that is having a facility that is accessable, user freindly and world class, then we will have lost another round where despite those comments that QR is boring, spectators can see all of the track from just about everywhere and don't miss any of the action totally without a replacement event. I don't include street events as replacements for true track rounds either because they are so intrinsically different.[rt]

 

[Doug]

This may sound really dumb, so feel free to say so - but is testing at lakeside feasible - I know we don't race there anymore but it has certain characteristics that might assist in setup for other tracks.

 

[TS-50]

This may sound really dumb, so feel free to say so - but is testing at lakeside feasible - I know we don't race there anymore but it has certain characteristics that might assist in setup for other tracks.

It's not up to it really and then there's the noise issue, there is a decibel limit in place there now and even the improved production and sprint club events are having trouble keeping under the limit, V8's would be double that.

 

[TS-50]

Apparently the Mayor of Ipswich and the sports minister (QLD) have their heads together and are trying to work out a deal where some money may be available to subsidise the event.

John, the track owner, says the sticking points are two things really, firstly that life members who get free access to the track are not being permitted their access by V8SA on race days and secondly Cochbrain has always refused to foot the bill to repair damage caused by the event. John would like to see these two things addressed and also a five year deal rather than have to face the same negotiations every year with the way things are now.

I'm a fence sitter on this one, but I'm a bit more over the QR side than Cochbrains because his blatent copying of the F1 formula is too costly, biased to one particular manufacturer and dooming the category to failure eventually in my humble opinion.

But , if the local and state authorities can bail out Cohcbrain and us taxpayers can foot part of the bill (which will be small compared to the @$80 million they're planning to put into magic millions)we migh still be having a round at QR after all. I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[Doug]

Thanks TS50 for that - been a couple of years since I have been to the lake.

 

[Markus]

The same crap is happening here in the west. The concrete is not set on the barbagallo round either. Again v8sc wont fund the upgrade the facilities here but said they need to be upgraded for any round to continue here. From a fans point of view i think that is wrong, they should put funds back into the facilities and keep the teems and the FANS happy.

 

[TS-50]

The same crap is happening here in the west. The concrete is not set on the barbagallo round either. Again v8sc wont fund the upgrade the facilities here but said they need to be upgraded for any round to continue here. From a fans point of view i think that is wrong, they should put funds back into the facilities and keep the teems and the FANS happy.

[iag]


There is a real problem when these big shots like Cochbrain start to believe their own spin, they then assume that their event is more important to the venue than having a venue to run an event is to them.

In this case it's because of the relative success of street circuits and the ease , so far because government ministers are so easily impressed, with which getting a street event has occurred ; to top that off you have urban sprawl now over 50 kilometers from most capital cities and closing in fast on permenent circuits which are not popular with people living in houses who bought them on a day no one was using the track, and now want those tracks closed down.

If the Ripley Valley MDA's and the Springfield Lakes MDA complete their planned developments and extensions to them homes will be within a few K's of willowbank in 10 years anyway. [rt]